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Meran
Meran is a Metroidvania title developed and published by Ghostrealm Studios for the GhostDrive console. Intended to be the creator's take on the Metroidvania genre despite having only played Super Metroid, Metroid Prime, and Hollow Knight, it introduces many unique mechanics and ideas to allow it to stand out. Story Aside from a few cutscenes, most of Meran's story is told via scanning objects and using context clues. Introduction Meran, a short, hooded individual who enjoys travelling the world, is walking through a snowy pass one day, until a rockslide starts. As they brace for cover in a nearby cave, they notice that some ruins have been opened up by the rockslide. Heading inside, they look through through the ruins in awe before stumbling upon a pedestal of sorts with a boomerang on it. As they walk around the pedestal, they hear the words "take it" in their head. As they grab the boomerang, it strangely begins to speak, identifying itself as Sajin, a spirit of some sort that speaks to Meran through the boomerang, which seems to have magical energies within it. Sajin tells Meran that the ruins they're in is in fact a gateway between dimensions, so to speak, and at the bottom of the ruins lies a vault which contains treasure of some kind. Meran looks to be intrigued, and proceeds through the ruins. After some exploring, Meran finds an orb of some sort within a small room, that flies right into their boomerang. After throwing the boomerang at a mural on the wall, it seems to inform Meran of the history of the ruins, calling them the Kigonn Shrine, as well as mentioning something about five Isoki Keys with ties to the shrine. Sajin concludes that those keys could be needed to crack open the vault of the ruins, and suggest that they use the portals throughout the Kigonn Shrine to navigate through various dimensions to find the keys. Scanning/Exploration Notes Through exploring and scanning areas available in this part of the story, the following details are found: *The Kigonn Shrine's dimensional qualities are due to the materials it was built out of, and slaves were used to construct it as well. *The "treasure" has been sought out by numerous adventurers, but none got far enough to discover how exactly to get it. *One adventurer contructed a small tent built into the wall of the Descent, but it collapsed when they tried to get out of it. Their body can be found on a ledge within the shaft. *Another adventurer had managed to tame some of the local Iwak via outside food, but they turned on him when he had run out. If the player ventures to the bottom of the Descent, they'll find a vault with yellowish energy around it, which will drain their health for as long as they stand near it. By collecting more Isoki Keys, the energy dissipates and deals damage at a slower rate. Guts of the Unknown Eventually, Meran arrives in the Guts of the Unknown, fighting their way through the monsters that inhabit it. However, some of the monsters carry a sickly yellow glow and seem to be stronger than usual. Sajin calls them "Kusan", beings whose power have been enhanced by exposure to the Kigonn Shrine and its mystical energies. After some more exploring, Meran comes across the Kikorn: a giant, monstrous alligator-esque creature made of bones and flesh. After an intense battle, the beast is slain and the first of the Isoki Keys is secured. Scanning/Exploration Notes Through exploring and scanning areas available in this part of the story, the following details are found: *The beast holding the Guts of the Unknown once terrorized an entire city, as seen by bits of skyscrapers inside. Some of these hold various products and items that were valued by the citizens before they were devoured. *In what used to be the beast's stomach, the local cell-esque inhabitants would use the stomach acid as a means of execution, boiling their criminals alive. Some children who thought they were clever also had dangerous experiences here. *Interdimensional activity had led to various individuals once inhabiting the beast, but the cells would try to exterminate them due to them being foreign material. *The beast's "skull" is cracked quite a bit, implying that it was bludgeoned to death. Its eyeballs can also be entered and used to see a wasteland full of toxic rivers and collapsed buildings, implying that something apocalyptic had happened. In addition, the following details are found via backtracking to previous areas after visiting the Guts of the Unknown: *The Kigonn Shrine's creators built the shrine on the border between realities, seeking to harness its powers. *One adventurer managed to get close to the vault, but was harmed severely by the yellow energies and retreated to a nearby cave as they died. Their last words, "BEWARE THE BOTTOM", were carved into the cave wall. *The slaves who built the shrine were actually building it convinced they'd be paid for their work, but those who ordered for its construction cheaped out at the last moment. Treetop Wastes After returning to the Descent, Meran enters the Treetop Wastes via portal, adventuring through the jungle and its strange environments. The existence of Kusan is stronger here, with many foes afflicted by its energies. Meran eventually comes across the Naruni atop one of the trees, and does battle with it, eventually defeating it and proceeding along the way. Eventually, Meran reaches a spirit infused with Kusan energy, and puts it out of its misery to obtain the second Isoki Key. Scanning/Exploration Notes Through exploring and scanning areas available in this part of the story, the following details are found: *The Treetop Wastes' gravitational awkwardness is due to the way gravity works on its planet; it's not tied to the ground necessarily, but most trees also extert a gravitational pull. *Tribes of warriors had once engaged in ferocious battles throughout the Treetop Wastes, many of which led to areas being torn apart by the fighting. One particular tree has two skeletons seemingly signing a peace treaty inside it. *Kusan energy is abundant here due to the wastes being connected to the Kigonn Shrine and the treasure inside it. *There appears to be no "sky" within the Treetop Wastes; just a thick canopy of leaves and plants. In addition, the following details are found via backtracking to previous areas after visiting the Treetop Wastes: *The Guts of the Unknown's bones are actually extremely durable, with thick layers of protective cell walls. They essentially act as giant walls. *Within the Descent, statues can be found resembling a porcine species, possibly the creators of the Kigonn Shrine. They wield giant spears of some kind, perhaps their main weapon of choice. *The monsters within the Kigonn Shrine and its connected dimensions are actually reincarnated souls of those killed within those areas, usually dimwitted adventurers. Characters Gameplay Meran is a Metroidvania title, a genre known for its non-linearity and use of powerups to open up new areas. Meran's main tool throughout the game is the boomerang they obtained, which can be used as a melee weapon and thrown to hit enemies and objects. Various objects can be obtained that enhance the boomerang's capabilities and provide it with new ways of being used. The boomerang can also be held in place and then jumped on for an aerial boost. When a new area is reached, you'll need to map it out by collecting Map Pieces from enemies in the area, before being able to assemble a full map, unlike past Metroidvania titles where you'd just enter a room. Markers can also be placed on the map to mark specific spots to visit later on. Fast travel is also available via portals that emerge throughout the game's areas, though only previously-visited areas can be fast traveled to. Controls Items Affixes Affixes are permanent upgrades to the boomerang. Runes Runes are abilities that can be applied to the boomerang and grant it increased functionality. When a Rune is used, it consumes Magic Energy, which gradually regenerates. Miscellaneous Miscellaneous items aren't tied to the boomerang. Areas Enemies Various enemies wander the Kigonn Shrine and its connected dimensions. Some special Kusan variants of enemies can be found, which have a yellow glow and hit harder, but have more lucrative rewards. Bosses Development Meran had its roots in a survey conducted by in order to figure out what to work on next. The Metroidvania genre scored extremely high on a question asking which genre he should do an original IP in next, with a whopping 52.4% of the votes. While this wouldn't be done right away due to the high number of votes interested in seeing a Kirby game, Krexxal would keep these ideas in mind. Trivia *The name "Meran" is due to it being part of the word boo'meran'g. *The ability to jump on the boomerang for a boost in altitude, along with being able to hold it in place, is inspired by Super Mario Odyssey. *The use of a boomerang as a melee weapon as well as a ranged one was inspired by Cutter Kirby. Category:Ghostrealm Games Category:GhostDrive Games Category:Games Category:Metroidvania Games